Focused Ion-Beam (FIB) Nanomachining of Silicon Carbide (SiC) Stencil Masks for Nanoscale Patterning

Abstract

We report on experimental explorations of using focused ion beam (FIB) nanomachining of different types of silicon carbide (SiC) thin membranes, for making robust, high-quality stencil masks for new emerging options of nanoscale patterning. Using thin films and membranes in polycrystalline SiC (poly-SiC), 3C-SiC, and amorphous SiC (a-SiC) with thicknesses in the range of t~250nm−1.6μm, we have prototyped a series of stencil masks, with nanoscale features routinely down to ~100nm.